250-500 MC LOW-NOISE TRAVELING-WAVE TUBE AMPLIFIER

Abstract

Ten tubes were built and 6 of these were tested. Three items to further improve noise figure performance were incorporated. Thes are: (1) a 20% larger diameter cathode and beam, (2) an enlarged opening in the bucket collector, and (3) coating the inside of the collector with carbon. Gains obtained when potentials were optimized for best noise performance were of the order of 30 db + or - 1 db over the octave frequency band. Noise performance improved from previous tubes. Noise figures less than 4.6 db over the octave band were obtained and the best single frequency noise figure of 2.5 db at 328 Mc was obtained. Saturated power output in excess of 0.5 milliwatt was measured with an input signal strength of -27 dbm. Reverse attenuation was measured and found to exceed 75 db over the operating frequency band. Two tubes accrued running times in excess of 400 hours each with no sign of emission slumping or degradation of noise figure. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 14, 1961
Accession Number
AD0262204

Entities

People

  • Robert E. Vehn

Organizations

  • Watkins-Johnson Company

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accumulators
  • Amplifiers
  • Attenuation
  • Degradation
  • Diameters
  • Emission
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Bands
  • Frequency Shift
  • Gain
  • Low Noise
  • Noise
  • Traveling Wave Tubes
  • Traveling Waves

Readers

  • Acoustics.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design